Delamere Training

Bernetini69
Bernetini69 Posts: 25
edited June 2011 in MTB beginners
Went to Delamere the other day to have a play around. Have only been out properly twice off road. Was very wet and my back end was out everywere, think I put in 60 tyre pressure!

I spoke to the man from the bike store there who said he does courses. Anyone ever used him there?

Comments

  • im picking up my bike at the end of july and my local spot will be delamere and im sure i read somewhere on here that they do a ride around on a thursday night, but if they do courses i to would be interested in this as a beginer.
    hopefully someone will be along soon to help out with this .
  • omegas
    omegas Posts: 970
    I dont think Delamere has anything to test your skills on as its very much a kids , dogs and family shared fireroad track x 2 that would not even be a green run. :lol:

    Llandegla run courses every month (beginners ,core skills , jumps and drops) and they have a purpose built skills area to play on,its only 40 mins down the road from Delamere.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    That is a very high pressure - unless you are huge.
    Try half of that and fiddle from there.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • Dirtydog11
    Dirtydog11 Posts: 1,621
    omegas wrote:
    I dont think Delamere has anything to test your skills on as its very much a kids , dogs and family shared fireroad track x 2 that would not even be a green run. :lol:

    Llandegla run courses every month (beginners ,core skills , jumps and drops) and they have a purpose built skills area to play on,its only 40 mins down the road from Delamere.


    You clearly didn't see the skills area then!

    +1 on the pressures
  • omegas
    omegas Posts: 970
    I did find a place that is supposedly the skills area . It had a load of scallies on bmx bikes lighting fires and jumping over some little mounds and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

    I have not been there for about 2 years even though I live local , maybe they have invested some money in building new trails and a proper pump track and skills area.I remember the 4x track that took about 20 seconds to ride down.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Have only been out properly twice off road.
    Buy some mags, or ask here for the basics. I wouldn't bother shelling out for a skills course yet, since you've only been out twice.
  • jpenno
    jpenno Posts: 51
    If youve not been off road yet then there is plenty of fun to be had blasting round delamere, just watch out for the kids and dogs.

    The bike hire place does do lessons but cant vouch for them.

    Had my first trip to llandgela last week and that is miles better than delamere and worth the extra drive - IF the drive isnt taking away your riding time.
  • sdalby
    sdalby Posts: 139
    omegas wrote:
    I did find a place that is supposedly the skills area . It had a load of scallies on bmx bikes lighting fires and jumping over some little mounds and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

    True about the scallies, you just need to find the time when they're not there. When the skills area is empty it's a very good way to spend the day, there are very short downhill runs, very short techy bits and a lot of various jumps and drops around the place. Away from the skills area there is a lot of off piste bits that can be linked together to make, in my opinion, a better loop than Cannock Chase.
    Never put off until tomorrow something that you can do today. 'Cause if you do it today, and like it, the you can do it again tomorrow!!
  • Mark909
    Mark909 Posts: 456
    If you follow the forest track away from the skills area you come to a t junction in the track. It viers away downhill to the right. If you turn left here then right at the next junction and ride along the trees you'll see an entrance into the trees near a telegraph pole. Theres a really good slow speed technical trail here thats well worth finding. My favourite part of delemere!
  • kaytronika
    kaytronika Posts: 580
    Lots and lots of hidden trails in Delamere. I never ride the cycle skills area but always find something to keep me busy. I even found some wooden ramps and bridges the last time I went. Maintenance needed on one or two of them though. Heh.

    The waymarked routes are for families and shouldn't be compared to the likes of Llandegla.

    I have heard that the guy who owns the shop does some guiided rides around the area, but I don't know any details. Best to have a word with him and maybe sort something out?

    Once I've got this Manchester to Blackpool ride out of the way and my Fury is back on knobblies I'm sure I'll be back out that way on Saturday mornings a few times. Finding more odd bits of overgrown singletrack. The way we used to do it before trail centres came along.
    --
    '09 Carrera Fury
    '94 GT Timberline FS
    '89 Saracen Tufftrax
  • Dan Dare
    Dan Dare Posts: 367
    There is plenty of stuff to explore at Delamere, I've ridden there many times and I still find new stuff every time I go. When it's wet there your back end will slide (although a bit less if you drop the pressure, 60psi is very high, I run around 40psi which works pretty well) but sliding is part of the fun!
  • theshrew
    theshrew Posts: 169
    I wouldnt bother with a course at Delamere you would be better off going to Llandegla to do one.

    I only live a few min drive from Delamere and have been a fair few times. Its true about the kids but if you go early morning then you can have a play before they get up. You cant really get lost so just have a ride around get off the fire road and you will find some nice singletrack. Ive not been for a couple of months so it maybe harder to spot i presume ferns etc have grown.
  • shm_uk
    shm_uk Posts: 683
    You may find this of interest:

    "Tracs (the bike hire/shop) at Delamere are doing free guided rides every Thursday around Delamere. The rides are only about 1.5 to 2 hours but a good way to learn your way around the forest if you are new to the area.
    Meet up at their base around 6.00 to 6.30pm.

    The cafe is open until about 8.30pm too."

    (http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12782652)
  • theshrew
    theshrew Posts: 169
    Thats quite good of them.

    If im free one Thurs i may turn up for this. Delamere may not be the most technical place in the world but its still a nice place to ride. :D
  • It is perhaps a good place to start, but being pretty flat its limited, still a nice place to go around, great if taking the other half and/or kids.

    I never went on the skills course until recently, but eveything thing seems a bit ad-hoc, but ok for a play about, not sure if I have seen it all, i.e. I thought there were some purpose built jumps etc, but didn't see them, but I only a few moments to look around.

    Llandegla would be my preffered choice but a bit further to travel, but its worth it, going Sun AM. :D
  • theshrew
    theshrew Posts: 169
    Yes there are some jumps, short downhill and a 4X track

    http://www.gsdavies.net/biking/delamere.htm

    If you look on that map top left hand corner. Where it says New Pale and Hondslough fm if you drew a line on the map between those 2 points. Where that line crosses the route thats marked in blue that is the area you need to be.

    Sorry its a bit of a rubbish way to explain but you should find it if you ride the fireroad its signposted when your near it.

    Also if you go off the fireroad into the trees people have made a few jumps some nice singletrack in that area and a Road Gap jump.